


The Seventh of the Three

by macha



Series: Georgia on My Mind [24]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-27
Updated: 2008-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 11:51:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macha/pseuds/macha





	The Seventh of the Three

__

### B05.04.01 DragonHorde Wars:  
in memory, at the bar.

and the name of the tale is:

The Seventh of the Three

Rigel 41, that's where the ship went. I don't know why he was going; he didn't say. Called himself the Captain's boy, but the Captain stayed clear of him the whole damn voyage. And the Second Mate insisted he'd paid for his passage with something rich and fair, and we were only along for the ride. Took our set fares, though, I noticed, just the same.

Whereas in the bar, now, that was a different story. Seemed to know everyone, and always had time to listen to a tall tale or a harebrained notion; always had just enough coin, too, to order another round. He was popular. We all thought he must have a bolthole somewhere, but nobody'd seen it. But when he boarded, at the very last moment, all he had on him seemed to be what he was wearing.

I confess I looked the planet up, when he said he was leaving. He seemed to be the most interesting thing in the galaxy at the time; gods, I was young. There was a job on offer there, translating, and there was a roundtrip fare that went with that. Everything in his vicinity, somehow, tended to fall into place that way. Dead easy. He said I wouldn't be sorry, and I took him at his word. Those blue eyes couldn't lie, I reasoned. Oh, I was green; looking back, that part's still a bit painful to think about.

I made a joke, about what might have happened to Rigels 1 through 40, and he said "used to be a binary star, a bright one called the Seventh of the Three". I remember that mostly because it was uniquely a bit of an awkward moment, the only one i ever saw in his vicinity, till everyone chose to laugh as though they saw the humor in it.

He gave me notice, though it was wasted on me. He said, "can't take you where I'm going, or where I've been". Odd thing to say; the young really couldn't care less about past or future. He looked young, but he wasn't. In the bar, of course, he was acting a part. But when it was more personal, he got more... careful. Wherever he'd learned that people were breakable, he hadn't learned it easy, and he took the lesson hard.

What are you up to? I was just cautious enough to ask him that. Showed me his hands, and turned them over. Empty. Who are you? "Nothing you can mend, luv; I've just been lost awhile." What are you looking for? "They moved the island." Clearly he wasn't going to offer more, so I let it go.

How it ended? Not like I expected. First we landed. Always a shock, to see a sky again. I should have known when the world went dark. Unscheduled eclipse, the com said. Rumor, though, said it was a ship blocking the light. Not likely, I scoffed: I mean, how big would it have to be? But coms that lied were industry standard. I should have known the end was fucking nigh. For me, at least. And of course I didn't. Thank the gods, I'll never now be as young as that again.

She came right through the door, over it as it fell in fact, and took in the moment. I'd never seen him move quite as fast as that. Blurted out "Slayer. I didn't think you would be coming". I'd never heard of a slayer. Right about then I focused on the axe. She took a step forward. " _You_ didn't think I'd be coming?" She was small. Blonde. Kinda cute. Her eyes were green. The rest of her wasn't. "You didn't _think_ I'd be coming?" Another step. Her voice got softer instead of louder. "You didn't think i'd be _coming_?"

I guess by then I already knew that she was the most dangerous thing in the universe. Come to find out later, that part was exactly right. And plainly it didn't come as a surprise to him. He put one hand on his heart and reached out uncertainly with the other. She didn't take it. But after a moment, she reached out a hand to touch his face. 'C'mon, then," she said. "The ship won't wait." Had anyone ever looked at me like that, or I at them, I'd have lived a different life.

Binary star, I've thought about that since. I'd only ever known him as singular, until that moment when he wasn't. There was nothing in this universe then but the two of them together shining bright.

He never looked back. The eclipse passed. I'm still here yet. He was right, though. I'm not sorry.


End file.
